Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1887-12-10
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIyINE'S SUNDAY
SERMON.
Subject: Concord and Discord

VI I'D ii --FIi LIF- = TFTEITT.T a =" TT
ing Of the corner stone Of church, asylum or
Masonic temple. Into the h'llo" 81 the
stone were placed scrolls of history and In
prrtant documents 10 BE- suggestive II one or
two hundred wears after the building shonld
be DESTROYED nv fire or torn down. We re-
pememter the silver trowel or iron hammer
that smote the square piece Of granite INTO
sanctIty. We reTIemDer some venerable man
vino presided. Wedding the tTo"el or nam
mer Ne remember also the mus: a. the
choir stood on the scattered stones AMI
timber Of the building about u lie Goa
structe1 The leaves OF the nGtebpDKs nut
tered IN the wind and were turned over with
Il great ruatllng. ana we remember now me
Lass, baritone, I nor, contraItO ana soprano
voices commtnxled. Tnev had for many DAYS
been rehearsIng the SPECIAL programme, that
IT might he worthy OF the corner stone laying.
In my text the poet of u calls us to a
grander cercTnony-the laying OF the founda-
ton Of this great temple OF a word. Inc
corner stone was a block Of light, and the
trowel was Of celestial crystal. All about
and on the emb1nkmeuts OF cloud stood the
angelic choristero, unrotilng their lIbrettos
Of overture, and other wGrlds clappti shAl-
ing c~y!ubals while the ceremony vent on,
and bO1. the architect, by stroke IF light
after stroke Of light, dedicated tbs great
cathedral Of Il world. with mountains for
pillars. and sky for frescocd ceiling, and
Towering field, for floors, and sunrise AMI
midnight aurora Tor upholstery. " " no and
the cOrntr Stone Their OF. when the morning
stars sang to1cthcr|
The fact Is that the whole universe was a
complete cadence, an uubroken dlthy ramb, a
musical portfolio. Tie great sheet Of I'M
IuensIty had been spread out, and written on
1t were tn" stars, the smaller OF them Elnllns,
the larger Of them sustained notes. The
meteDrs marked the staccatO passages, the
whole heavens IA garnut, With all sounds, INTO
nations and mt1uiatlons, the space between
the worlds n musical interval, trembling Of
stellar hight II qIavcr, the thunder a bass
cicf, the wind AmPng trees a treble cief.
That Is the way Gopmade all things, a per
feet harmony.
But one day a harp string snapped in the
great orchestra. One day a voice sounded
out Of tune. One day u dlscOrl, harsh AMI
terrific, grated upon the glorious antlphony.
1t was SIN that ma IL the dI~SSonanca. and that
harsh dlsrord has been sounding through the
centuries. All the work of Christians, and
philanthropiats. anI reformers of all ages, is
10 stop that diocord and get all things back
into the perfect harmony which was heard at
tho laying Of the cornerstone when the
morning stars sanr together. Before | get
through, If | am divinely helped, | Will make
1t PLAIN that sin is discord and righteousness
Is harmony.
That things in general are out OF tune is as
plain as TO a musicians ear Is the unhappy
clnsh of clarIOneJ and bassoon III an orches-
trail rendering.
/ ne WOTll y IlfdiI1 out Oh tune. w Chk lung
and the atmosphere IN collision, disorderCd
eye and nooniay light in quarrel, rheumatic
limb and damp weather III struggle, neural
gas, and ~pneunlonlas, and COnsuInptions,
and epllepSles IN tiocks aWOop upon neIghbor-
hoods and cities. Where you find one person
with sound throat, and keen eyesight, and
alert ear, and easy respiration, ana regular
pulsation, and supple limb, and prime diges-
ton, and steadv nerves. You find a hundred
who have to be very careful because this, or
that, or the other physical function IS dlsor-
dered.
judgment wrongly swerved, or the memory
leaky, or the will weak, or the temper in
ilammable. and the well balanced mind ex,ep-
tional. Dome BIC life out of tune. Not only
here ana there Il COnJugal outbreak Of lnCOm-
patihIllty OF temper through the divorce
courts, or n tilial outbreak about a fathers
will through the Surrogates Court. or a case
of wl!c lotting or husband poisoning through
the criminal courts, but thousands Of fam
lies with june outside ard January within.
Society oft OF tune: Labor ana capital.
their hands on each uthers threats. Spirit Of
caste keeping those down III the social scale
III n struggle to get up, and putting those
who are up III anxiety lest they have to come
down. No wonder the old p.anoforte of So
clety is all out Of tune. when hypocrisy, and
lying, ana subteriuge, and double dealing,
and sycophanCy, and Charlatanlsm. and re
venge have for 5000 years being banging
away ut the keys and stamping the pedals.
On all SID ; there Is a perpetual sflpwreck
OF harmonie,. Nations in dlscord. Without
realizing It, SO wro1g is the feeling Of nation
for nation that the symbols chosen are fierce
ana destructive. In this country, where our
skies are full Of ROBINS and doves aud morn
ing larks, We have for our national symbol the
fierce and hlthv eagle, as immoral n bird as
can be- found IN all the ornithological cata-
logues. In Great Britain, where they have
4rNl- nAll VIZ lAA. ~. =. -.
msgrile,s hon. In Russia, where from be-
tween Eer frozen north and blooming south
al Kindly telSts dwell. they choose IT," Crowl
lnG bear and in the worlds hcraldrv a favor.
itc Azure Is the dragon, which is a WINGED
serpent. f-roctou> and dreadful. 50 fond
j. tie world 81 cpn.elt.on taat we climb out
through the heavens and taDtjIe one of the
o.her }aNet> W,tn tn spirit o. battle, and
ciIl II Mars, after the -ed at war. ana we give
- tn" eighth sign Of the zodiac the name
Il th' Scorpion, n creature which IS chiefly
celebrated for ITS lea ily Stag. Bat, afta-
n}l, thoSs svmt his are expressive Of the
way nation fee is toward nation. Discori
wide a. tho CONTINENT AMI bridging he seas.
suppose Won have noticed how warmly in
love dry goods stores are with other dry
EooiS store AMI hnw highly grocerymcn
thlnk of IN" sugars II the groCervmen on the
same block And IN what a culo-i~tlc way
~ntIupathlr and homeopathic do tors speak Of
each ether, and how ministers will sometimes
i'At ministers IN That beautiful Coo{inC in
strument which the English call a splt. an
iron roller with spikes ~ II, and turue,, bv a
crank before a hot fire. AMI then II he min
lister being roasted creS ont a-a.n,. il. the
men VIII arr turning HIM say. Hush.
brother We are turning this SPIT for the
glory of God and the good of vojIr >oul. and
Won must te quiet While We close thu service
with
"ESe>t hr the tics that binds
Our hoar> ju CLrls'tan love"
Tho earth y d.ane:cgei aud t.rrunfer-
en'ei with d>cori, and The rausic that was
rendered AZ tn laying of the world : corner
Aton", when The morning stars san together
y not heard now, and though here al i there
from this and that part ~ society. an from
tins ami inst part ot the earth. thtle come,
up a t%ar.4inS solo of love. ~ a uarhl. #
worship. ct a sweet duet # Ia,Ien-e. they
are drowned OF; ~ a dsrori that shake,
the earth.
Paul says The whole creation Cr,rlnath y
end while tie nightingale. ani the wool
LARK. and Ia canary. aui tl| ploy.r. some
MES s,nI ~ swertlv that their uo-.> have
ls-n wrltten GU N musical notation. and =
Is iount that the cuckoo sings III to kay Of
II. ami that the G0rmAraur IS "A base IN ms
winged CHOIR. yt' sportSuau'S gun ari tia
antum1al bias; often leave them ruttai aud
hs.-AilDp or 3aa I -, -. - - Il